Injured Iranian cat recovers at S.F. shelter

Maloos recovers at S.F. Animal Care and Control after traveling from Iran. His hind legs don't work and he had surgery to remove shrapnel from under his eye. (Courtesy SFACC)

An Iranian cat that was found covered in mud and gasoline on the streets of Tehran is getting a fresh start at San Francisco’s Animal Care and Control shelter.

Maloos, a young tabby that’s no more than 2 years old, was flown thousands of miles from Tehran to San Francisco after an Iranian shelter arranged to have him cared for at the city’s public animal shelter.

Maloos was rescued by Sayeh Animal Guardians in Tehran when he was found stuck in the street. He was covered in wounds and abscesses and had a piece of shrapnel in his face.

Veterinary care in Iran is limited, and the people who recovered Maloos wanted to make sure he got the care he needed. He was treated in Iran then escorted on a plane to San Francisco. He arrived April 15.

Maloos in Tehran when he was first rescued. (Courtesy SFACC)

Veterinarians think Maloos was born with congenital deformities in his hips and legs, which caused him to move around by dragging his rear along the street. Iranian veterinary staff tried to fix one of his hind legs but the surgery didn’t succeed, and his leg was amputated instead.

The shrapnel was removed from his face in San Francisco, and he continues to recover. Maloos may be a good candidate for an animal wheelchair, and ACC staff hopes he’ll be adopted some day, said ACC spokeswoman Deb Campbell.

Strays with chips from foreign countries sometimes end up at the shelter, but this is the first time an animal has been brought overseas specifically to the shelter. Someone at the Tehran shelter had a connection to someone in S.F. and thought it would be the best place for Maloos, Campbell said.

“This is a special case — this cat had been through so much already,” Campbell said. “He deserves to be taken care of.”

Anyone interested in supporting the taxpayer funded city shelter can visit helpacc.org.